Unforeseen Side Effects
by IsoldeAhlstrom
Summary: What if there was a darker side to the Battlizers? A more dangerous side, to the wielder? Because you can't be struck by lightning and walk away unscathed. NO slash.
1. Unforseen Side Effects

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot idea.

* * *

TJ silently followed Andros through the Megaship. After defeating Vacsacker minutes ago, he'd noticed Andros acting erratically; avoiding contact, rubbing at his morpher's strap, and wincing when people walked too close. He'd claimed exhaustion from the Battlizer and retreated from the cockpit, but TJ had seen a limp in his stride. That along with everything else was what had prompted his decision to follow his leader.

When Andros collapsed, he knew he'd made the right choice. TJ emerged from behind the corner and strode over to Andros, reaching out to catch his elbow and help him to his feet. The heat radiating off of Andros caught him off guard.

"Andros?" he asked. The only answer he got was a pained groan. Worried, TJ grabbed Andros' arm and tried to get a better look at Andros' face. Andros cried out, and tried to move away. "Hey, whoa, it's just me. Let's get you to the med-bay, alright?"

When physical contact only proved to intensify Andros' pain, even through two layers of clothing, TJ bit the bullet and pulled Andros up and into a fireman's hold, then raced down the hallway to the med-bay, his speed increasing as Andros continued to cry out in pain.

Once there, TJ quickly laid Andros out on a bed and stripped off his jacket and shirt. Wetting some cloths with cool water, he laid them against Andros' skin but Andros moaned and batted them away.

"I know it's cold and it hurts, but you're burning up," TJ said. He tried again, and this time they stayed where he put them. He was about to get more when he heard a whisper in the back of his mind.

 _Burns._

"What does?" TJ asked. "What's happening to him?"

 _Power,_ came the reply. _Focus._

TJ frowned, then realized the second word had been a command, not an answer. Shrugging, TJ closed his eyes and concentrated, focusing his mind the way Tommy had taught him. In moments, he understood what the Power was saying: it was the Red power that was causing this, because Andros' Red power fed his Battlizer, and the Battlizer energy was burning Andros' skin. Slowly, following the Power's one word commands, TJ removed the morpher attached to Andros' wrist, then gathered his Blue energy and sent it out like a mist to surround Andros. Blues were naturally less powerful than Reds, and TJ's Turbo morpher wasn't actively connected, so he'd lost most of his Red energy over the past few months. After half an hour, by which time Andros' fever had finally broken and the obvious signs of pain had faded, TJ's control wavered. Reassured by the Power that he'd done enough for now, TJ relaxed and set up an IV to help Andros regain some of the moisture he'd lost. After he finished, he sat back.

 _Sorry. Too much,_ the Power whispered.

"What do you mean?" TJ asked. A flood of information poured into his mind, and TJ reeled from the shock. Once he recovered, he sifted through the knowledge and discovered just what the Power meant by 'too much.'

Andros had _needed_ the Battlizer to defeat Vacsacker, but the Power had overestimated his capabilities and limits, and had given him too much power. Reds tended to have a close affinity with fire, and the fire-like qualities of the Red energy had led to Andros' fever and collapse. Blues had an affinity with water, hence the reason why TJ's power had helped break the fever and lower Andros' core temperature. TJ would need to stay in close proximity to Andros while his body recovered. If Andros used his Battlizer again, the results would be much the same. Unfortunately, the only way to refine the size of the power boost Andros got when using his Battlizer was to use his Battlizer. TJ sighed and rubbed his forehead. He wasn't looking forward to the coming weeks. Knowing Andros, the Red would insist on using the Battlizer so that no other Red would have to go through the same thing, no matter the cost to his own body. Watching Andros breathe, TJ promised himself and the Power that Andros wouldn't go through this alone. They were a team, and they'd face any obstacle together.

* * *

I was re-watching the older seasons and this idea formed after watching Andros activate his Battlizer for the first time.

My view of the Power is that it's sentient to a degree, otherwise how would it choose the Rangers who wield it? It _can_ interact with the Rangers, but more often than not, chooses not to. Tommy first talked with the Power while Zordon and Alpha were creating the White Ranger powers, and it was the Power who wanted Jason to become the Gold Ranger in Zeo. Tommy told TJ about the Power when he handed the Red Turbo morpher over to him, and TJ's heard it a few times during Turbo, then In Space.

I apologize about any OOC-ness, I've never written Andros or TJ before. Concrit is welcome.


	2. Continuing Side Effects

Inspiration struck and this had to be written. A new chapter for 'To begin a change' is coming, I promise. It's just taking a liiitle longer than expected. For all I take Tae Kwan Do (Korean martial art for those who don't know, and no, I didn't mean to rhyme) I'm not very good at fight scenes, but I think I'm getting there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. The idea of Battlizer side effects is mine, though.

* * *

As the group of Ten Rangers, hyped up on Power and adrenaline, headed for the Megaship, Andros led the way with TJ shadowing his every footstep, knowing that things were going to get bad. Ten Reds, two of them more powerful than most, spelled trouble for him. They managed to get off the Moon before the trembling was bad enough that Andros couldn't pilot the ship.

"DECA, engage the autopilot," he called.

"Autopilot engaged," DECA announced. Relieved of that duty, Andros stood and almost tore the strap that held his morpher on in his haste to rid himself of the active link to the Power. He dropped it to the ground and kicked it across the room, feeling sparks of pain igniting all over his skin. Glowing Blue, TJ laid a hand on his shoulder, shielding him from the waves of energy pouring off his fellow Reds, waves that weren't anywhere near decreasing in intensity.

"Andros?" Tommy asked, concern clear in his voice. "Are you alright?"

Andros was about to respond when the firestorm of Power abated slightly. Looking over at the disturbance, he saw the newest Red, Cole, had his eyes closed and his head tilted to one side. Andros could feel him talking with the Power as easily as if he'd done it all his life. He opened his eyes and looked at Andros.

"We're hurting you," he murmured. "Our power, the Red power, it burns you."

Absolutely dumbstruck, Andros could only nod, but it was all the answer Cole needed. His eyes closed again and the intensity of the storm lessened again, the Power slowly draining from the newbie. As the other Reds caught on to what Cole was doing, they started letting go of their accumulated Power and decompressing from their battle-ready state, turning the storm into a gentle breeze. TJ began to lift the shield he'd erected, but Andros hissed as Red fire scraped his still-raw nerves and the shield descended again. Still keeping his hand on his friend's shoulder, TJ guided Andros into a seat and stood behind him.

"Andros?" Tommy asked again, and Andros sighed.

"I'm...sensitive to the Red energy," he started. "I wasn't always, but I am now. If I come into contact with too much energy at too high an intensity, my skin feels as if it's on fire, and if something's touching my skin, even if it's just cloth, it makes it worse."

"How'd it happen?" Jason asked. Andros grimaced.

"We were trapped in a place where we couldn't morph, and I was forced to use my Battlizer for the first time. But it...it was too much Power. It burned me. And it burned every time I used my Battlizer after that."

"Why didn't you stop using it?" Tommy asked. Cole answered before Andros could.

"Because he didn't want any other Red Ranger to go through the same pain as he did."

"Are you a mind-reader, or something?" TJ asked in confusion. Cole shrugged.

"I just know how to listen with my heart."

Silence descended upon the bridge for a few minutes, then Tommy spoke up.

"Is it just the Blue power that helps to counteract the effects, and if so, why?"

"Reds tend to be closely affiliated with fire, and the Red power has many fire-like attributes," TJ explained. "Blues tend to be closely affiliated with water, hence the reason why Blue power helps. I don't know if any of the other types of power might help, but even if they did, you are the strongest Ranger here, and you naturally have more power than most, so that doesn't help in this case. Jason's only a little less powerful than you, which also didn't help."

"Wielder matters that much?" Carter asked, confused.

 _Yes,_ the Power spoke. _Jason, First. Special. Tommy, Chosen. Special. Wielder matters._

 _{beat}_

"Well that answers that question."

* * *

TJ grinned at the droll tone used by the Lightspeed Rescue Red, and again dialed back the intensity of the shield of Blue energy. Andros didn't flinch this time, so he kept it at the reduced level. To his surprise, threads of White, and to a lesser extent Green, energy started to weave through the Red power, weakening its intensity and causing Andros to relax further. Glancing up, TJ saw Tommy faintly glowing with the aforementioned colors, and nodded in gratitude. Tommy returned the nod and continued muddying the waters. As they headed back towards Earth, Leo turned to Cole and asked about his earlier statement. That led to a mini 'getting-to-know-everyone' session, which passed the time nicely. By the time they reached Earth, Andros had returned to normal and TJ could relax.

* * *

Because Ten Reds in one place is a lot of firepower, in more ways than one, so naturally it would affect Andros. Sorry for the delay with 'To begin a change,' I promise another chapter is coming.


End file.
